Rashid Al-Khalifa: The artist formally known as Prince
My artwork is a form of communication and sensorial engagement for self-exploration, for myself and the viewer, Al-Khalifa said.
Al-Khalifa's work in the past 10 years or so has focused on abstract and color-field art.
Updated 08 May 2018
Arab News
DUBAI: “Hybrids,” a new solo exhibition by Bahraini artist (and member of the royal family) Rashid Al-Khalifa opened last night at Ayyam Gallery in Dubai International Financial Centre.
“Hybrids” presents wall-mounted installations from six of Al-Khalifa’s series dating from 2010 to 2017.
Since beginning his career in the late 1960s, Al-Khalifa has established himself as a major player in the Middle Eastern art scene. His “quasi-kinetic” works, which Ayyam Gallery’s press release describes as “seminal,” were presented in Washington, DC, in 1982. Over the past four decades, Al-Khalifa has exhibited all over the world.
His work in the past 10 years or so has focused on abstract and color-field art, examples of which can be seen in “Hybrids” — an apt title for works that blend painting and sculpture.
The press release stated that circles serve as a starting point for much of Al-Khalifa’s work, as seen in his “Into a Different Dimension” series, in which “the artist creates folds with detached sections of the circles, highlighting fragile connections between the shapes.”
Earlier this year, Al-Khalifa told Bahraini daily Gulf Today that he would have been an architect had he not become a painter — “Architecture is closest to my heart,” he said — and that interest is clear in his carefully constructed work.
“My artwork is a form of communication and sensorial engagement for self-exploration, for myself and the viewer,” Al-Khalifa said in a statement about the exhibition.
“Hybrids” runs until June 28. The exhibition is set to run until June 28 at Ayyam Gallery, which was founded in 2006 with a mission to “expand the parameters of international art,” according to its website.
‘The Wild Within’ sees artists breathe new life into Mideast buildings
Updated 16 December 2025
Saffiya Ansari
DUBAI: Lens-based artist Ryan Koopmans and digital artist Alice Wexell are staging a showcase at Dubai’s Leila Heller Gallery that breathes new life into regional buildings.
The series of digital artworks is part of the exhibition “The Wild Within,” featuring images of old structures in Beirut, Istanbul, and Abu Dhabi filled with wild flowers.
Two of the largest works, “Heartbeats” and “The Wish,” are displayed using Ventana, a microLED architectural display surface created by visual technology company Megapixel.
'Around Us' by Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell. (Supplied)
The former artwork depicts the entrance hall of Qasr Al-Watan, the UAE’s presidential palace in Abu Dhabi, while the latter reimagines the upper floors of the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi.
“Each building we work with comes to us through a combination of research, travel, and intuition,” the artists told Arab News in a joint statement.
'Constellations' by Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell. (Supplied)
“We are drawn to structures that carry both emotional and historical resonance, often buildings that once embodied human ambition and now exist in a state of quiet transformation.”
Koopans and Wexell made sure to research the context of each building they choose to recreate, saying “an old villa in Jeddah or a former school in Sharjah each hold their own cultural memory, influencing everything from the lighting and atmosphere to the plants and flowers that we digitally sculpt and implement into the photographs.”
'Heart of Sharjah' by Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell. (Supplied)
The hypnotic works depict the interior of buildings in the region, with digitally rendered flowers carpeting the floor in a bid to “(reimage) these spaces (and) explore the relationship between nature, place, and time, while celebrating each site as a unique work of architecture with its own spirit and story,” the artists said.
Koopmans is of dual Canadian and Dutch heritage, while Wexell is Swedish and based in Stockholm, so it is noteworthy that both artists chose to explore the Middle East for their latest project.
'Blossom of the Ancestors' by Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell. (Supplied)
“In the Middle East especially, the architecture reflects a layered past that merges different styles and eras, while also expressing a sense of renewal and forward-looking energy, particularly in the region’s fantastic contemporary buildings. We are drawn to the symmetry, geometry and patterns that are found not only in nature itself, but in the architectural language of the region both past and present,” they said.
The series — featuring works such as “Adore You,” “Between Worlds,” and “Blossom of the Ancestors” — explores contrasts between the natural world and human-made forms, as well as the traditional and contemporary worlds.
“We are interested in how these elements coexist and merge into one another, creating a sense of hyperrealism that feels both familiar and imaginary. By merging photography with digital sculpture, the artworks question where the boundary lies between documentation and invention, and how technology can extend rather than replace our sense of the natural world.”
'Under the Rain of Light' by Ryan Koopmans and Alice Wexell. (Supplied)
Although the scale of the artworks ensures they leave the viewer entranced, it did pose challenges, according to the artists.
“Presented at a large scale, every texture in these artworks becomes visible, which can be demanding but is also incredibly rewarding. The magnified detail allows the visceral and atmospheric layers of the pieces to come through with greater impact,” they said, adding that each piece took “many months” to create.
“Ultimately, we want our collectors to experience a sense of wonder and contemplation, as if they are standing inside a dream that feels both entirely real yet unreal.”
